Biomass is a form of renewable energy that uses plant and waste feedstock to generate heat and power. Plant waste includes:
- woodchips
- saw dust
- crop waste
- low-quality logs
Basically the materials that a sawmill would dispose of in a landfill because they have no more use for it at the mill.
Some industrial facilities in Atlantic Canada use biomass to generate heat and electricity for their manufacturing processes, and because they have a deal with the provincial utility, any excess electricity gets sent into the electrical grid.